Sound Mix:

Certification:

Filming Locations:

Company:

Did You Know?

Trivia:

Several key cast members in the film are uncredited and their identities remain unknown, most notably the cat-farming neighbor, 'Goof,' as well as the detective, and Maria Altura, the woman who Dr. Meirschultz brings back to life. The identities of the actress who doubles for Altura for scenes that require nudity has also not been identified.See more »

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Various times throughout the movie, the "corpses" are visibly breathing.See more »

Quotes:

Blonde:Hay, Mazie! We know you're hard boiled. You don't have to stay in the water thirty minutes to prove it. Mazie:Oh, lemme alone. I may not be decent, but I'm sure gonna be clean!See more »

FAQ

In the 1980s, thanks to the Brothers Medved, "Plan 9" earned the reputation
as the worst film of all time. In the 1990s, thanks to MST3K, "Manos, the
Hands of Fate" earned the worst film moniker.

Allow me to submit the film "Maniac" as the very worst. This film is so
wretched, so fallible, so awful, it's impossible not to have an opinion
about it.

"Maniac" is a film of almost no reputation. However, cult film critic
Danny
Peary called it the very worst. It's easy to see why. "Maniac" has almost
no frame of film that is expertly produced. The film is grainy, shots are
poorly executed, actors are rendered unseeable by being filmed standing
behind test tubes.

"Maniac" easily has the worst acting in any film, from any time, any
country. Overacting must have been a prerequisite to being hired for this
film. Everyone talks in such an imposing, declaratory style, you'd think
you were watching a session of Congress. At least "Plan 9" has
professional
actors such as Lyle Talbot; at least "Manos" has interesting
characterizations. "Maniac" cannot boast any of that, except that actor
Horace Carpenter once worked at Biograph with D.W. Griffith. What a
comedown for him to be in this film.

Don't get me wrong; the film is a hoot to watch. From the incredible cat's
eye scene to the cat fighting to the women fighting with syringes, "Maniac"
has it all.

This film, made in 1934, may surprise people with its brief nude scenes.
But it was a "roadshow" movie, so it's not really surprising at all. This
was the kind of movie that could only be seen in burlesque houses or tent
shows. Often, a promoter would put ads about the movie in the local
papers,
gaining huge interest in the film. The promoter would pitch a tent on the
outskirts of town for the screening of the film. The promoter all too
often
would have to fold the tent and get out of town quickly, trying to avoid
local authorities and local moral laws.

Do yourself, do your family, do your community a favor. Rent "Maniac" and
see if you don't agree it's the worst ever.

Related Links

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Edit page' button will take you through a step-by-step process.